Stamping machine



Jan. 13, 1948. 5 ANDERSON 2,434,381

STAMPING MACHINE Filed May 28, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 117 UEHYDJ".

525221552 findersazz STAMPING MACHINE Filed May 28, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Patented Jan. 13, 1948 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STAMPING MACHINEStanley E. Anderson, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 28, 1942, Serial No. 444,801

13 Claims. (01. 101-41) This invention relates to stamping machines. Itsprincipal object is the production of a stamping machine capable of useby manufacturers, dealers, and others to stamp desired information orindications on packages, cartons, and other objects.

A further object is to provide a stamping machine of the above characterwhich may be mounted on a work bench; is adjustable to accommodatedifierent sizes of packages or other objects; is pedal-actuated; readilyreceives stamps of difierent sizes; and 'detachably receives ink pads ofstandard construction.

A still further object is to provide a stamping machine which is ofsturdy construction; is reliable in operation; and may be manufacturedin quantity by a minimum of simple manufacturing operations.

A feature of the invention is that the stamps of simple construction maybe firmly attached to the stamp carriage, yet are readily removable whenit is desired to change the stamp in use for one adapted to stamp otherinformation.

Other objects and features will appear as the description progresses.

The accompanying drawings, comprising Figures 1 to 11, show sufiicientviews of a stamping machine constructed according to the principles ofthe invention to enable the invention to be understood:

Figure 1 is a right-side general View of the machine in normal position,with certain parts broken away;

Figure 2 is a front-View detail of the interconnection between themachine and the operating pedal;

Figure 3 is a right-side view of the machine in operated position;

Figure 4 is a front view;

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the machine, showing the construction ofthe object-supporting base I2;

Figure 6 is a top view of the machine of normal position;

Figure 7 is a partial right-side view showing the construction of theright-side pulley 32;

Figure 8 is a front view showing a section through the pulley 32;

Figure 9 is a right-side sectional view of the stamp-holding portion ofthe stamp carriage 8;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary front sectional View of the main body portionof the machine, showing how the ink pad is held in place; and

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a stamp adapted for use in themachine.

The machine is shown attached to the work bench 5 and to the leg 6thereof, supported on floor I.

The main body portion 2 of the machine, with its upstanding left-sideportion 3 and right-side portion 4, may be constructed of any suitablesheet material, steel, for example. The body portion 2 may be secured tothe top of table 5 by wood screws as indicated in Figures 1 and 6.

The stamp carriage 8 is normally supported partially between the sides 3and 4 of the main body portion on three equal-length pairs of armspivoted between the sides 3 and 4 of the main body portion and sides 9and ll] of stamp carriage 8. The three pairs of arms comprises a frontpair H and I2, an intermediate pair I3 and I4, and a rear pair l5 andI6, as seen in top view in Figure 6. A cut-away portion of the frontright arm I2 is shown in Figure 1; and a more complete view of arm I2 isshown in Figure 3, wherein the arm is largely exposed because of theoperated position of the device.

Arms H and 12 are pivotally secured to the main side portions 3 and 4,as by rivets I1 and I8 passing outwardly through arms H and I2, withtheir heads counter-sunk therein, and riveted over washers on theoutside of the side portions 3 and 4 of the main body 2. Front arms IIand I2 are similarly pivotally secured at their other ends to sideportions 9 and iii of the stamp carriage by rivets l9 and 2c, rivetedover washers on the inside of the side walls 9 and III of the stampcarriage.

The front ends of the intermediate arms l3 and M are pivoted to the mainside portions 3 and 4 by construction detailed in Figures 7 and 8. Screw42 in Figure 8 passes outwardly through the outwardly off-set annularportion of the right side 4 of the frame, through the front end of arml4, and through the main portion of pulley 32, and is secured in placeby nut 4|.

The rear ends of arms l3 and 14 are pivotally secured to the sideportions 9 and ill of stamp carriage 8 by handle rod 25, which passesthrough matched openings in arm l3, side members 9 and ID of the stampcarriage, and arm l4. Handle rod 25 is secured against endwise movementby cap nuts 21 and 28. Handle 26 surrounds the portion of rod 25 lyinginside the upstanding stamp-carriage wall portions 9 and I0. Spacingthimbles 29 and 30 surround handle rod 25 between the side walls of thestamp carriage and the rear ends of levers l3 and I4.

The front ends of rear arms l5 and I6 are secured to the main side walls3 and 4 at pivot points 2| and 22, and are secured to sides 9 and I3 ofthe stamp carriage at pivot points 23 and 24. The six arms II to |6 areof substantially equal length between pivot points, and each is pivotedat one end to a portion of the main body of the machine, and at theother end to a portion of the stamp carriage of similar height. Theresult is that the stamp carriage can be brought upwardly from itsnormal position in Figure 1, and then rearwardly, and downwardly to theposition shown in Figure 3, in an arcuate motion, during which the stampcarriage is so guided by the three pairs of arms that it does notrotate, but moves bodily. It is maintained substantially level .in allpositions thereof.

As shown best in Figures 1 and the front end of the fiat main portion 8of the stamp carriage is formed downwardly and rearwardly at 53 to forma front retaining bracket for stamp 49. The rearwardly extendingoutstanding portion of bracket 53 enters side groove 5| in stamp 49. Theconfiguration of stamp 49, with its front and rear side-grooves 5| and52, is seen best in Figure l1.

The adjustable rear retaining bracket 54 for stamp 49 is seen best inFigure 9. This bracket includes a level portion lying beneath stampcarriag 8 and held in contact therewith by screw 55 and wing nut 56. Thescrew 55 passes upwardly through the slot 57, seen in plan view inFigure 6. Bracket 54 is maintained in alignment against rotation aboutscrew 59 as a pivot by the upstanding portion 58 thereof, lyingrearwardly of the bracket and extending up into slot 51.

The front portion of bracket 54 is bent down- Wardly and forwardly toprovide a horizontal forwardly extending portion which enters the rearretaining groove 52 in stamp 49.

Besides its main body portion, which may be made of wood, for example(high grade ply wood is well suited), stamp 49 has a yielding faceportion 56, usually made of rubber. On the lower face of portion 59, theusual type characters (not shown) are provided according to the text andamount of the information to 'be stamped.

In the normal position of the stamp carriage,

as shown in Figures 1, 4, and 6, the type characis held in place betweenthe main side walls 3 and 4 by screws 59 and 69, as shown best in Figure10, the right-hand pad-retaining screw 68- being shown also in Figure 3.

Movement of stamp carriage 8, from-its nor-- mal stamp-inking positionof Figure 1 arcuately to its stamping position of Figure 3, isaccomplished by rotation of pulleys 3| and 32, best seen generally inFigures 1, 3, 4, and 6. Pulley" 3| is rigidly attached to the leftintermediate arm 13, and pulley 32 is rigidly attached to the rightintermediate arm l4.

Each of the pulleys is of hollow construction, inclosing a restoringspring, normally concealed and protected by the cup-like spring covers33 and 34. The right-side view Figure 7 is takenv with spring cover 34of pulley 32 removed to. show the spring 39 lying within the pulley.

The inner flat side portion of pulley 32 is. secured to an intermediatepoint on arm l4 by screw 45, Figure 7. This screw may have a headportion (not shown) countersunk in the inside surface of arm |4. Arm l4and pulley 32 are retained tightly in contact by nut 46, threaded onscrew 45.

As seen in section in Figure 8, a stationary hub 38 lies within pulley32. This hub is internally threaded and is held firmly against rotationby screw 42, locked in position by lock nut 4|.

The groove formed by the reduced end portion of hub 38 providesa'bearing around which arm l4 and pulley 32 freely turn.

The inner end of restoring spring 39 is secured to the periphery of hub38 by pin 40, Figures and 8. The outer end of spring 39 is looped andriveted at 44, Figure 7, the loop passing over and being retained by theportion of screw 45 extending outwardly through nut 46.

The spring 39, along with the similar spring (not, shown) containedwithin pulley 3|, is tensioned to urge the stamp carriage downwardly inits normal position to secure a firm contact between stamp 49 and inkpad 48.

Forward rotation of the pulleys 3| and 32 to bring the stamp carriagearcuately forward to the stamping position shown in Figure through theconsequent rotation of the intermediate, driving levers l3 and I4, isaccomplished by cables 35 and 36. Cables 35 and 36 are attached to thepulleys as shown for cable 36 in Figure '7. As shown in Figure 7, cable35 passes upwardly in front of pulley 32; extends rearwardly about onceand a half around the pulley; and passe in to the interior thereofthrough the illustrated opening; and. is secured in place by beingknotted at 41.

The cylindrical cable-supporting surface of pulley 32 is formed byannular member 31, which may be spot welded to the main portion of thepulley, and is turned outwardly to form one of the flanges.

The cables 35 and 36 extend downwardly, as seen in Figures 1 and 2, andare interconnected with pedal I98, hinged at |0l to floor piece I02. Thelower ends of cables 35 and 36 are secured to the outer ends ofequalizing bar 95, Figures 1 and 2.

The upper end of rod 96 is looped through the central opening in bar 95,and the lower end of this rod is adjustably connected by turnbuckle .91with the upper end of pedal rod 98; the lower end of rod 98 is loopedthrough the eye portion of rod 99, secured to the free end of pedal I98.In practice the rod 98 is furnished straight. and the user is expectedto bend the lower end thereof at about the proper point, depending uponthe height of the work bench on which the stamp is installed. Afterthat, the necessary adjustments in pedal height may be made byturnbuckle 91.

When the pedal is depressed, equalizing bar 99 is drawndownwardly,drawing cables 35 and 36 downwardly. This causes counter-clockwiserotation (as seen in Figure 1) of the pulleys 3| and 32, with resultingcounter-clockwise rotation of the driving arms I3 and I4. The stampcarriage 8 is thereby brought forward to the stamping position shown inFigure 3, the level position of the stamp carriage being maintainedthroughout by th front pair of arms H and I2, and the rear pair of arms|5 and |6, in cooperation with the intermediate driving arms |3 and I4.This backward rotation of the. pulleys 3| and 32 is accomplished againsttension of spring 39, Figures 7 and 8, in pulley 32, and against thetension of the corresponding spring (not shown) in pulley 3|.

When pedal Hill is released, the pulley springs return the stampcarriage arcuately rearwardly to the normal position illustrated inFigure raising the pedal I66 to normal position through cables 35 and36.

As shown at P in Figures 1, 3, 4, and 6 a package or other object isarranged to be supported, with th top surface thereof substantially on alevel with the surface of ink pad 48, in such a position as to properlyreceive the impression from the inked characters on the under surface ofstamp 49, when the stamp carriage is operated as above described tobring it into the stamping position shown in Figure 3, The arrangementfor supporting and locating the package P or other object in position toreceive the stamp will now b described.

Attachment blocks '6! and 62 are secured to the rear lower outsideportions of the side walls 3 and 3 of the main body portion 2, as bymachine screws or by welding. The blocks 6! and 62 are drilled andtapped from below to threadedly receive the vertically extending tubes63 and 64. These tubes are preferably hollow as indicated to permit theoperating cables 35 and 36 to pass longitudinally therethrough. In theconstruction shown, the tubes 63 and 64 are lengths of standardgalvanized pipe of nominal inside diameter of one-quarter inch.

Supporting base or platform i2 is provided. It may be convenientlycomposed of cast iron. This platform has a pair of hollow dependingbosses l3 and M which freely receive the-tubes 63 and 64. The platformis retained in a desired position on tubes 63 and 65 by set screws inthe rear walls of bosses i3 and M, as shown in Figure 1. Platform 12 hasa pair of mounting slots 15 and 16, seen in Figures 5 and 6, to enablethe back board H to be mounted thereon and adjusted forwardly orrearwardly thereof as desired.

Back board F? has a pair of angle brackets 78 and 19 secured on the backside thereof, near the lower outer corners. The back board may beconveniently made of plywood, and the brackets i8 and 19 may be attachedthereto by wood screws. Screws 8E! and 31 are secured in the horizontalportions of the brackets '58 and 19, and extend downwardly through theslots 15 and 16 as seen best in Figure 5. Wing nuts 32 and 83 areprovided to hold the brackets and the lower portion of back board 1'!adjustably in place in any desired front-to-rear position within theslots 15 and 16.

The upper portion of back board 11 is held in place by countersunkscrews 86 and 36, Figures 4 and 1. the front ends of horizontallyadjustable rods 86 and 81. These rods are assembled with tubes 63 and 64by means of offset cross blocks 66 and 66. Each of these blocks has avertical opening for freely receiving the associated one of the tubes 63and 66, and a laterally offset horizontal opening to receive theassociated one of the horizontal adjustment rods 36 and Bl. Theindicated set screws enable backboard rods 86 and 61, to be tightened inany desired front-to-rear position of adjustment within the blocks 65and 66.

Backboard T! has upper and lower horizontal slots 88 and 39 therein.Vertical locating bar 96 is adjustably held in any desired left-to-rightposition by screws 9! and 32, passed forwardly through slots 88 and 89and through holes in bar 96. The bar 93 is tightened in any desiredposition by wing nuts 93 and 94.

The vertical position of package P or any other object to be stamped isdetermined by the adjusted height of base or platform 12 on tubes 63 and64; the front-to-rear position of the object is determined by thefront-to-rear adjustment of back board 11; and left-to-right position ofthe package or object P is determined by the adjusted position along thefront face of back board ll of the vertical positioning bar 96, theobject P being urged by hand downwardly, rearwardly, and to the rightduring the stamping operation.

When a package P of a different height is to be accommodated, thevertical height of the holding and locating assembly is adjusted byloosening the set screws in the bosses l3 and 14 of the supporting base12 to permit the assembly to be raised or lowered as desired on thetubes 63 and 64. The set screws are then tightened to retain theassembly in the new location.

The front-to-rear position of back board 1! may be readily adjusted topermit the stamp to engage the package or object P at a differentposition by loosening the wing nuts 82 and 83, Figure 5, as well as theset screws in offset blocks 65 and 66, which hold the horizontal rods 36and 81. Back board Tl may then be brought into and vertically aligned inits new position after which the concerned wing nuts and set screws maybe retightened to retain the back board in the new position.

Finally, as previously noted, the vertical positioning bar 90 may bebrought to the left or to the right to a new position to accommodate adifferent size of package or to cause the stamp to be applied to adifferent position to the left or right on the object, by loosenin wingnuts 33 and 94; sliding the bar horizontally to the new position; andretightening wing nuts 93 and 96.

A brace for the object-supporting portion of the machine is providedbelow platform 12, between th vertical tubes 63 and 64 and leg 6 of thework bench. For this purpose, a pair of pipe Ts 68 and 69, Figure 4, areprovided. The vertical opening through each of the Ts is drilled outsufficiently large that the tubes 63 and 64 are freely received therein.Cross brace I03 (which These screws are threaded into may be a length ofstandard pipe of the size of tubes 63 and 64) interconnects Ts 68 and69. Offset cross block '61 has a left-to-right opening through whichcross brace I63 is passed, and a front-to-rear opening in whichsupporting brace 70 is secured. Supporting brace 16 may be a length ofstandard pipe threaded into pipe flange H, secured to leg 6 by the usualscrews. When the device is installed, the set screw shown in Figure 4,in the lower offset portion of block 61, is

tightened to hold the block in its desired position on the rod 10. Thisconstruction enables the installer of the machine to make a readyadjustment according to the location of leg 6 rearwardly from the edgeof bench 5.

,Among the many advantages which the improved stampin machine hereindisclosed possesses over the hand stamping method heretofore employedare: (1) uniformity of position of the matter stamped on the packages orobjects; (2) uniformity of impression; and (3) speed of operationresulting from the operator being freed of the necessity of pausing oneach stamping operation to judge the location of the stamp with respectto the object to be stamped.

A special advantage is that, when a stamped imprint is too light orotherwise imperfect, the concerned object may be replaced on thesupporting portion of the stamping machine and restamped. The secondimprint will be made exactly on top of the first because of thesupporting and locating arrangements (base 12, back board 71', and guidebar 96) herein disclosed. On the other hand, when a hand stamp is usedand a faulty imprint is made, it is a practical impossibility to put thehand stamp down again exactly in the same position, for which reason itis necessary to erase the first imprint stamp before restamping, inorder to avoid confusion and obscuration.

I claim:

1. In a stamping machine, a fixed base portion having upstanding opposedwalls, a stamp carriage adapted to be moved with respect to said baseportion bodily in an arcuate path, six guide arms of substantially equallength, said arms comprising a front pair, an intermediate pair, and arear pair, one end of each arm being pivotally attached to one of saidwalls, the pivot axes being perpendicular to said walls, the other endof each of said arms being similarly pivotally attached to points ofsaid carriage so spaced as to maintain all said arms substantiallyparallel in all positions of the carriage in its arcuate path.

2. In a stamping machine as set forth in claim 1, two of said pairs ofarms lying within said side walls, the other pair outside thereof.

3. In a stamping machine as set forth in claim 1, the front and rearpairs of said arms lying within said side walls, the intermediate pairlying outside thereof, two pulleys attached respectively to the arms ofthe intermediate pair with their centers along the common fixed-pivotaxis of the pair, and a pair of carriage-actuating cables operativelyattached respectively to said pulleys.

4. In a stamping machine, a base portion having an upstanding wall, astamp carriage; front, intermediate, and rear levers of substantiallyequal length between pivot points thereon; the front and rear ones ofsaid levers being attached at one pivot point of each to the first sideof said Wall, the intermediate lever being attached at one pivot pointthereof to the second side of said wall, each of said levers beingarranged for rotation about said attachment points in substantially theplane of said wall, a stamp carriage located on the first side of saidwall, the other end of each lever being pivotally attached to said stampcarriage at such points thereon that the said arms aremaintainedsubstantially parallel to each other.

5. In a stamping machine, a main, body portion and a stamp carriage,said body portion having opposed side walls, said stamp carriage beingso supported between said side walls as to be movable parallel theretobetween an inking position and a stamping position, a pair of opposedpulleys located on opposite sides of said carriage'outside said walls,said pulleys being operatively attached to said carriage to move it fromone of said positions to the other, downwardly extending operatingcables attached respectively to said pulleys, and a pedal linked to saidcables.

6. In combination, a stamping machine adapted to be mounted on a workbench, with the front portion of the machine overhanging the front edgeof the bench; a pair of opposed operating pulleys located on saidmachine along a line above and to the rear of the front edge of saidbench, with the front portion of said pulleys overhanging said frontedge; a pair of tubes attached to said machine below, and in verticalalignment with, the respective overhanging front portions of saidpulleys; means mounted on said tubes for supporting objects in positionto be stamped, a pair ofoperating cables attached to said pulleys andextending downwardly therefrom through said tubes, respectively; andpedal means operatively attached to said cables below said tubes.

7'. In a, stamping machine including a main body portion and. a stampcarriage operatively mounted thereon, a, vertically adjustable baseplate for holding objects in position to be stamped, a verticallydisposed back plate mounted onsaid adjustable base plate and adjustableback and forth thereon.

8. In a stamping machine including a. main body portion and a stampcarriage operatively mounted thereon, a vertically adjustable base platefor holding objects in position to be stamped, a vertically disposedback plate mounted on said adjustable base plate and adjustable back andforth thereon, and a vertically disposed side bar mounted on said backplate and adjustable from side to side thereon.

9. In a stamping. machine, a support, a stamp carriage, means linkingthe carriage to the support for movement along an are between astampinking position and a stamping position, said linking meansincluding three arms of substantially equal length between a pair ofpivot points on each, means pivotally locating one pivot point of eacharm for a turning movement about a separate pivot axis fixed with thesupport, means pivotally locating the other pivot point of each arm fora turning movement about a separate pivot axis fixed with the carriage,all said pivot axes being generally parallel to each other.

10. In a stamping machine as set forth in claim 9, one of the pivotaxes, in both the support and the carriage, being displaced from theplane defined by the other two axes therein.

ll. In a stamping machine as set forth in claim 9, one arm lyinggenerally between the other two and having its pivot axes locatedgenerally between the pivot axes of the other two arms, means forapplying turning forceto said one arm to cause the carriage to movebetween the said positions, while permitting the other two arms tofollow idly the resulting movement of the carriage.

12. In a stamping machine, a support, a stamp carriage, means linkingthe stamp carriage to the support for movement along an are between astamp-inking position and a stamping position, said linking meansincluding six guide arms comprising a separate set of three arms foreach of two opposed sides of the carriage, all said arms being ofsubstantially equal length between a pair of pivot points on each;considered longitudinally of the carriage, said arms comprising a firstpair, an intermediate pair, and a third pair, one end of each arm beingpivotally attached to the support, the pivot axes being parallel to oneanother, the other end of each of the arms being similarly pivotallyattached to points of the carriage so placed as to maintain all saidarms substantially parallel in all positions of the carriage in itsarcuate path.

13. A stamping machine including a support and a stamp carriageoperatively mounted thereon, a base for holding objects to be stamped, a

9 vertically disposed back plate adjustable back and forth with respectto said base, and a vertically UNITED STATES PATENTS disposed side barmounted on said back plate and i ag g M ga J 1 2 5 1914 h i a ews u yadJustable from side to side t ereon 5 1,189,747 Smith July 4 19161,715,214 Swann May 28, 1929 STANLEY ANDERSON 1,751,467 Altvater Mar.25, 1930 1,639,360 Woodworth Aug. 16, 1927 REFERENCES CITED 1,759,973Brooks May 27, 1930 Casto et a1 Oct. 26, 1937 The following referencesare of record in the 10 2,096,731 file of this patent:

